all lookouble and darkihall

mard, and see nothinh; they

ing to this word, [it is] because (there is no light, no is 21 understanding, no piety in them. And they shall passis

through it, hardly bestead and hungry; distressed and + · familbed: and it shall come to pass that when they

shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse

their king and their god, and look upward; that is, ? .. when unbelievers pass thro' the land, they shall curse their 22 king or rulers for hiring the Asyrians. "And they fall

look on the earth; and behold trouble and darkness,

dimness of anguish, they mall look upward and down. : tward, and see nothing but perplexity and forrow ; and (they

Thall be] driven to darkness, to gloom and accumulated
diftrefs.

R E F L E CTIO N S.
1. I ET us reflect with pleasure on the care which the

L prophets took to prove their prophecies authen-
tick. They did not merely speak them, and committees
them to memory or tradition, but wrote them in a plain,
legible manner; and did it before witnesses, who probably **

subfcribed the same, and were ready to declare upon oath i s that they saw the prophet write or attest it, that it might

be read and appealed to in order to fupport the faith of the
*** people in what they foretold, This remark tends to con

firm our faith in the prophecies; and the same remark, in
some measure, is applicable to the whole scripture.

2. There is need of great resolution not to be led away
by popular panicks or common errors. The prophet him. .
self seems to have been in danger of catching the fears of
the people, therefore it was that God warned him against **
it with a strong hand, with a considerable force on his

mind. We are ready to catch the groundless terrors of Tiothers, to imitate their example, and walk in the way of

the people around us. We ought to watch against this,
and labour after a sober singularity ; earnestly praying that
God would secure us against the infection of ill examples,
and preserve us in the way of holiness and peace. de

3. A holy fear of God is the best remedy against the fear
of man. i Peter iii. 14. San&tify the Lord of hosts in your

people innd appeal prophet

?? fome mi faith in the foretold. This upport the faith might

hearts ; and make him your fear and your dread; give him the glory of his power, providence, and promises ; reverence his universal dominion ; fear his displeasure; and acquiesce in his disposals. * This will keep our minds in peace; preserve us from that fear which hath torment : and he will be our refuge and strength, and a very present help in time of trouble.

4. Let us be thankful for the law and the testimony, and keep clofe to them. What is sealed up from the blinded jews, is opened to us, the disciples of Christ, who have seen many of these prophecies fulfilled. Let us learn hence, to reverence and study the scriptures, to abhor the wicked practices of those who use fpells and charms, who pretend to " discover secrets and tell fortunes: this is heinous wickedness, and ought never to be encouraged by any that believe in the providence and word of God. It is our duty to seek direction from him by prayer, and consult his word; to conform to it in sentiments and practice ; otherwise we shall displease him, and wander in the paths of error, fin, and ruin. Let his testimonies be our delight and our counsellors; they will guide us in a safe

to a happy end.

© H A P. ix." C'H A P. X. 1-4.

The same prophecy is continued as in the former chapter. It is

here foretold that the troubles of Judah should not be so great , as those of the other ten tribes, because they fould be

short, and then the promised Meah should come. : 71NTEVERTHELESS the dimness [shall] not [be].

IV such as I was) in her vexation, when at the first that he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the laud .

of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict [her;] or, as it may be better transated, as the first time made vile the land of Zebulun, (that is, by the Asyrians, ) so the latter time hall make them glorious, [by] the way

so the latter time it Zebulun, (that is by as the first time

way

1. of the fea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great

light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of

death, that is, the thickest and most perplexing darkness, 3 upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multi: plied the nation, [and] not increased the joy; or rather,

and hast increased the joy to him, or to it, that is, to the

jewish nation: they joy before thee according to the joy - in harvest, [and] as (men) rejoice when they divide 4 the spoil, their joy shall be exceeding great. For thou haft

broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his

shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of "Midian; as when Gideon overthrew the Midianites,

(Judges vii. 22.) by such unlikely and contemptible means.. 5- For every battle of the warrior [is] with confused noise,

.. with Jouts, and groans, and founding of arms, and gar. i ments rolled in blood ; but [this] shall be with burn

ing [and] fuel of fire ; referring to the deliverance of
God's people by Christ, from the yoke of fin and fatan. The
preaching of the gospel might seem an unlikely means, but it .

mould be successful, owing to the influences of the spirit, 6 which should be like fire, and spread like a flame. For

unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given; and

the government shall be upon his shoulder : this deli-
by verance shall certainly be accomplished, for Christ Mall be

born for our redemption, and his name shall be called,
that is, he hall be the Wonderful, Counseller, acquainta
ed with the counsels of God, so as to reveal the most importante
tant truths to men, The mighty God, the everlasting Fa-
ther, the great almighty governor, and the father of the ages,
or the dispensation to come, and the Prince of Peace ;

he di It is called Galilee of the Gentiles, because it was peopled by many of the heathen, by reason of its nearness to Tyre and Sidon, and to distinguish it from the other Galilee ; -and thus it agrees exact, ly with the quotation in the new testament. Bp. Lowth translates the verse thus: But there shall not hereafter be darkness in the land which was distressed. In the former time he debased the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he hath made it glorious, even the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of me the nations.'

k Bp. Lowth translates it, • The mighty God, the father of the mi everlasting age, the prince of peace.'

support for all the people in the inhabitant of a bricks 1

he shall be peaceful himself, and promote tče peace of his 7 subjects. Of the increase of This government and

peace (there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this, for his own honour and the happiness of mankind. The following verses contain a prophecy of the calamity and deftruetion of the ten tribes.

: 8 The LORD fent a word into Jacob, and it hath : lighted upon Ifrael; because they would not regard, it,

therefore it fell upon them with great violence, as an in

supportable burden. And the threatening fall be accom9 plished, for, all the people shall know, and feel the truth

of it, [even] Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, 10 that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks

are fallen down, but we will build with hewn ftones : the fycomores are cut down by our enemies, but we will

change (them into] cedars ; thus defying the judgments * 11 of God. Therefore the Lord shall set up the adver

faries of Rezin against him, that is, Israel; and join his enemies together; the Syrians, "Ifrael's allies, being

conquered by the Asyrians, ball be forced to serve against
12 Ifrael. The Syrians before, and the Philistines be. #

hind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth,
like a wild beast. For all this his anger is not turned

away, but his hand [is] stretched out still; he will
13 continue to punish them. For the people turneth not

unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the 4 LORD of hosts. Therefore the LORD will cut off from

Israel head and tail, branch and rufh, in one day ; . , 15 the rich and poor, the noble and the base. The antient

and honourable, the prince and the magistrate ; he [is]

the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he [is] er et 16 the tail, the most contemptible of all the people. For the

leaders of this people, their governors and prophets, cause

[them] to err, and (they that are] led of them (are] 17 destroyed. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in *

their young men, neither shall have mercy on their " fatherless and widows: for every one [is] an hypocrite, a profane person, and an evil doer, and every

. tit. . mouth

mouth spea koth folly; they have no pily on those that used to be the objetis of complecency, or of compaffion, For all this, because all are olike corrupt, his anger is

not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out ftill. 18 For wickedness burneth as the fire : it shall devour the

briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they fall mount up (like) the lifting up of

smoke; it produceth misery and causeth ruin, and the 19 high and low shall be devoured by it. Through the wrath,

of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the : people shall be as the fuel of the fire : 110 man shall

spare his brother; civil wars hall be among them, and 20 they fhall destroy one another. And he shall snatch on the

right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: there shall be a grievous famine, so that they will be ready to eat their

own flesh; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own . - arm ; fhail prey upon those that might have defended them. 21 Manasleh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh ; even

they who have been leagued together against Judah, hall devour one another ; [and] they together [shall be] against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned

away, but his hand [is] stretched out still. 1 CHAP. X. WOE unto them, to those Ifraelites, that

decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness (which] they have prescribed ; who are guilty of

injustice and oppression, of paling unrighteous sentences, and 2 those who put them in execution. To turn aside the needy

from judgment, and to take away the right from the

poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, 3 and [that] they may rob the fatherless! And what

will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation (which) shall come from far, from the Assyrians ? to whom will ye flee for help? what ally will ye seek to then?

and where will ye leave your glory? your wealth that 4 you gained by oppresion, who shall secure it? Without

me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they

shall fall under the slain; hecause you have cast me off, wear and I have forsaken "you, ye shall be taken prisoners and

Nain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still. "

REFLECT.